Chapter XIII
Vernon’s Mission.
Vernon walks through the main doors towards a man waiting for him at the foot of the staircase. Prof Deryn Gibbs, a short man of sixty with short grey hair, and more importantly for Vernon at least, one of the last people to serve under both Alan and his farther.
“Ah, good day to you, Mr Turnip. What brings yourself here today.” Deryn said walking up to the butler smiling, Vernon only grimaced in return, he knew what he was doing and didn’t want anyone else to witness his meeting.
“Can we talk in your office, as what I’m asking is not strictly above board.” Vernon said, looking around, the smile disappeared from Deryn’s face but he nodded.
“Off, erm, of course. follow me sir.” Deryn said before leading Vernon up a flight of stairs and into his office before closing the door behind him. It was a simple affair almost to point of spartan, with it only having a desk and chair along with a few cabinets
“Do you have it then?” Vernon asked as soon as the door closed behind the two of them. It had taken a great deal of persuasion to convince Deryn of the importance of this document.
“Yes, although why you want it is unknown to me.” Deryn said and reaches down behind his desk and hands Vernon a large envelope. “A list of every piece of equipment that left.” He paused slightly before continuing. “That warehouse. And like I said you aren't going to like what you see in there.” Deryn said sitting behind his desk, his hands folded in front of him. Vernon pockets the envelope, gets up and turns towards the door before Deryn calls him back, sweating slightly. “Vernon, why is someone selling our weapons to the enemy.” The professor asked, looking nervous. He knew what that document could mean if it fell into the wrong hands for both the company and the people working at here.
“Deryn, I would advise you forget about this. If what you say is true about what is in this folder. As I think you are in way over your head at this point.” Vernon said, in all seriousness, realising though that he was the one to have but the man over his head. And with that Vernon walks out of the room leaving a terrified Deryn to sit and think.
Once outside the office Vernon makes straight for the lobby area, wanting to get back to the manor as soon as possible, as he like Deryn knew what this envelope could do to the people if it fell into the wrong hands, namely put every single one on the undesirables list. Before he could reach the lobby however Geoffrey Randell, appeared in front of him, smiling at the old butler, not that this was a good sign as Vernon knew that whenever this man smiled, people tended to get hurt.
“Ah Vernon. Do you know when your employer will return.” Geoffrey said, still smiling. “I mean almost a month without an appearance since he borrowed our helicopter. Something must be very wrong.” Geoffrey finished, scanning Vernon up and down.
“That helicopter wasn’t borrowed as it does belong to him. Sir.” Vernon said, smiling at the look on Geoffrey’s face at this latest comment, but he managed to correct it quickly enough.
“Of course. My apologies.” Geoffrey said. “Well when you see Mr Wolfrick. Tell him I said hi.” Geoffrey finished before taking one last look at Vernon and walking off towards the achieves. Wondering what that had been all about, but knowing that it couldn’t be good in any case. Vernon exiting the lobby towards the car park.
As Vernon made his way back from Wolfrick Co, pondering with encounter with Randell. Alan walks through the cave entrance as the blast doors close behind him. He then walks up towards the raised platform that had recently gone up over the lake bellow. And remarking on several of the other improvements that had been made. They now had fitted electricity and water, a fully equipped armoury, two landing pads, although only one of them was occupied and much to Vernon's delight living quarters for Dmitri.
“Well, Well, look here the walking accident.” Dmitri said looking up from a table.
“Please, don't call me that.” Alan said limping over
“Yeah, I didn't like being called "The Thief" but you don't see me complaining do you.” Dmitri said, with both him and Alan smirking at that and walk off together, further into the cave.
“How goes the designs for your new bots.” Alan asked, looking around, as usually there were a few of them around.
“Good enough, a few more versions and they should be ready for use. As well as the fact that we have already begun work on moving the manors medical facility down here, as well as getting the cable down here.” Dmitri said, it had been difficult to bring all of the medical equipment down here but he thought that it would be worth it to have everything centralised in one place.
“And how is the, erm, other project going?” Alan asked, he had been surprised when Dmitri had come to him with the plan, but he had his doubts that it would even work.
“Not good, we simply don't have the power to cover the whole of the manor and its grounds. The only thing that I can think of is your glow stick of destiny. But I don't know how to extract the gemstone without breaking it.” Dmitri said looking glum, he had tried every single power source that they had available to them even the Pleinium that he had stolen all those months ago, but nothing had been powerful enough.
“Keep trying.” Alan said, whilst he knew that the defence systems were important, he was still not convinced that opening the gem on the top of his staff was a good idea, as none of them had any idea as to what it was, or how dangerous it could be if they even attempted to extract it.
“But apart from that, everything else is moving apace with construction on this place.” Dmitri said as he gestures around at the cave. “Looks like it will be finished in a couple of months, if we're lucky. Anyway when am I getting my new vehicle?” Dmitri asked as his old vehicle had been destroyed back on the disastrous raid on the Mayor's office, when a chunk of the building had fallen on it.
“It will be here tomorrow. Then you can get back out in the field. Which I know you want to do. Is the gear still intact anyway?” Alan said as they arrived at cabinet where Dmitri’s armour was stored. Apart from a few scratches, it looked completely intact.
“Yeah it’s still working, probably the only reason me and Charlie are still alive. Never thought it would be bomb proof.” Dmitri said examining the armour, he had originally thought it to be too much, however all that had all changed when he found himself alive after the bomb had gone off. Alan only smiles and then takes his leave and walks out of the cave that was rapidly becoming a second home. As he entered the manor entrance hall, he saw Vernon waiting for him, holding the envelope that he had sent him to collect, looking graver than he had ever seen the old butler before.
After convincing Dave and Nick to leave the living room, Alan sits reading the sheet of paper that Vernon had collected for him, his brow furrowing with every line he read, before eventually putting down the sheets of paper with a sigh.
“Well, this gives me more questions than answers.” Alan said.
“Yes sir.” Vernon said, he had been equally confused when he had looked through only to see a name that he didn’t recognise.
“We know that someone made a sale to the Bartazer whilst I was out there, but we have no clue who this guy, Leeran Frogadfly is. Or why he did it.” Alan said getting up off the chair and walking towards the window as Vernon looks towards the fire and then back at Alan.
“Sir, there was a mass purge of your company whilst you were out there. Maybe this Leeran was fired and simply wanted revenge.” Vernon suggested, he was certain that that wasn’t the case, but it was the best case scenario for them. Alan walks back and picks up the piece that had the specific removal from signed and looks up from the document. He lifts his hand up to scratch his now bandage free head, although his other arm is still in a sling.
“Vernon, I wish it were that simple. But you need top level security to access that armoury as well as one of the board to sign it out as well.” Alan said, he too had hoped that it would be that simple but knew that it wasn’t.
“Yes sir, it isn't that simple.” Vernon said, as Alan started to smile. “May I ask sir, what you are thinking about?” Vernon asked.
“Well, they're maybe a way.” Alan said, an idea having formed in his head, it was rash to the point of foolishness but it might just work.
“Oh no sir. Please don't be that rash.” Vernon said, he knew what Alan was thinking about and he knew that it would only end badly for both them and if the recently deceased Derrick was any testimony. Everyone that had helped them.
“Why not? We have proof don't we. And I won't be accusing anyone specifically. The ones that have nothing to hide will be genuine, and the others will most likely make a mistake.” Alan said and walked out of the room to get ready to face the board on their turf, for the first time in years.
